What Life is Really Like Behind the Hall Door

Irish Multi-Seed Brown Bread

Today’s blog post is short and sweet and at the request of In an Irish Home reader Jackie Shaw. Jackie, very kindly, reminded me that I had not yet posted a recipe for Irish Multi-Seed Brown Bread. Thanks, Jackie, and my apologies for the three-year delay!

This bread is so easy to make. Pop a few ingredient into a large mixing bowl.

Stir well, and whosh it into the oven.

Bada bing, bada boom and your done. There is no rising time required.

I know what it means to feel life is too busy to make homemade bread, but I can honestly say that everyone has time to make this. For me, it was a wonderful way to spend time with my young children {they loved mixing the ingredients by hand}. Now that the kids are teenagers, making this bread has become a weekly meditative ritual.

As a side to homemade soup or as a quick breakfast topped with jam, sliced tomatoes, cheese or whatever you prefer, it is absolutely healthy and delicious.

1. Pre-heat oven to 230ºC/450ºF. Lightly oil all sides of a loaf tin, line with a sheet of parchment paper, and set aside.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

3. Into the well, add the treacle (optional) and half the buttermilk. Stir well. Continue to add small amounts of buttermilk until you have a moist, but not sloppy, mixture.

4. Put the mixture into prepared loaf tin and bake for twenty minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150ºC/300ºF and bake for an hour.

5. Ease bread from loaf tin (you may need a knife to do this) and peel off the parchment paper. Carefully turn the loaf over (you may need a tea towel or oven mits to do this as the bread is very hot) and tap the underside of the loaf to listen for a hollow sound. A hollow sound means the bread is fully cooked. If the loaf does not sound hollow, return it to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Do not put it back into the loaf tin, just put it right-side up, directly on the shelf in the oven.

6. When bread is fully baked, cool on a wire rack. Slice as needed. Store in a container, in a cupboard. Will last about one week.

Additional Notes, Related Articles & Credit:

* My mixed seed mixture is as follows: 50g/3 tablespoons oat groats, 38g/3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, 1 10g/tablespoon poppy seeds, and 10gm/1 tablespoon sesame seed. I popped them into a dry sauté pan and lightly toast the seeds before adding them to the bread recipe above. If you are a real time-saver, you can always double or triple this mixture and store in an airtight container for future use.